It’s not often that I listen to a shoegaze record, save it to my library, and then proceed to stream it again and again; offering whatever additional focus I can muster into subsequent listens trying to glean as much as I possibly can. I’d even go so far to say that this may have never happened before with shoegaze but I’m grateful to have undergone this experience – all credit goes to the Texas based ‘dirtgaze’ group Shallowater and their sophomore record God’s Gonna Give You a Million Dollars.
Shallowater is a three-piece band of Blake Skipper, Ryan Faulkenberry, and Tristan Kelly who originally hail from West Texas but find themselves now based out of Houston. I hadn’t heard of the group before having God’s Gonna Give You a Millions Dollars recommended to me by a few friends earlier this year, but since giving it a listen I’ve become a fan not just of its deep and emotive performances, the simple but meaningful writing, or the fact that no track ever felt as long as they are but the reality that this album contains all of the above and more in spades and is such a rewarding listen.
The title track and subsequent “Sadie” begin and continue to tell a story of grief, loss, and the long and unique process of adapting to life without someone. From Sadie, lyrics such as “I’ve been writing down / Every word / You said to me / ‘Cause I like the way they look” touch on how unique loss is as well as how hard letting go can be.
A personal highlight of the album follows up “Sadie” in “Untitled Cowboy”. The almost 8 and a half minute long epic that I feel touches on regret, complacency and cycles that can haunt a person and their endeavors, relationships, etc. Lyrics like “Don’t you know I feel like / All that time we wasted / Sittin’ with each other / Would’ve been a whole lot better spent alone?” Lead singer Blake Skipper’s delivery, and the supporting ensemble create a sonic palette that hits like a truck and leaves you as the victim of a hit & run.
In summary, Shallowater has created a harmonious, precise, and rare project with God’s Gonna Give You a Million Dollars that feels to me like equal parts Chat Pile’s debut record God’s County and MJ Lenderman’s incredible 2024 record Manning Fireworks while also representing itself well and staying original.